FAQ

Q: Where on the site can I find a link mentioned on a show, or the title of song played between stories?

A: Usually, links or story-specific contact information mentioned in our broadcasts can be found on the Show Links page, as well as on the individual story’s page. If you're looking for the title of one of the pieces of music we use during the show, it will be listed in that show's main page that lists all the stories. For an index of shows by date, go to our Shows page.

Q: How many listeners do you have?

A: Marketplace, Marketplace Morning Report, Marketplace Weekend and Marketplace Tech are heard by an audience of more than 14 million unique listeners in the course of a week, on nearly 800 public radio stations nationwide. Marketplace is also distributed worldwide by American Forces Radio. We’re in demand online, too. The Marketplace portfolio delivers 4.2 million podcast downloads monthly. Our streaming segments, on apps like Flipboard, Stitcher and TuneIn, are requested 4 million plus times a month.

Q: Why does Marketplace originate in Los Angeles, not in New York like most other business programs, or in Washington, D.C., like most other public radio national news programming?

A: Since so much other national programming starts from the "right coast," Marketplace's creators decided to break with tradition. We hope our California/West Coast base helps us stay innovative and protects us from "inside-the-beltway" thinking. Marketplace is the only daily national business news program originating from the West Coast. We do also have bureaus in New York and Washington.

Q: Why does the broadcast always start with, "From the Frank Stanton Studios in Los Angeles, this is Marketplace?"

A: The Frank Stanton Studios honor a man revered as one of the greatest defenders of First Amendment rights for broadcast journalism. Read Frank Stanton's bio.

A: Marketplace receives funding from a mix of private, public, foundation and listener support. Public radio stations "subscribe" to Marketplace programs by paying a carriage fee.

Q: Don't your funders try to influence the content of your program or the way in which you report stories?

A: The answer is a flat no. None of our funders have ever tried (nor would they be permitted) to influence the content in any way. When there are stories critical of one of our underwriters or sponsors, we report them absolutely straight. And just to make it clear, we make sure to mention in our reports when a company or organization is a supporter of our shows.

Q: When you "Do the Numbers" each day, what are the songs you play?

A: "Stormy Weather" when the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down; "We're in the Money" when it's up. When the market is mixed, the song is "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got that Swing). Learn more about “The Numbers” music here.

A: We could mention the FTSE, or the Swiss Franc, or the Milan stock exchange, or platinum futures each day. But we are forced by our medium, radio, to pick and choose which statistics we regularly report. We try to avoid presenting "raw data" without context, and long streams of numbers are not radio's forte.

Q: I heard Marketplace do a story on [insert the name, such as "wild rice harvesting in Minnesota"] last week. That's not business news, so why did you broadcast it?

A: We feel just about any story can have a business angle. Try naming a story unrelated to the economy or personal finance. Marketplace isn't really a show about money; instead, it is a program which looks at the entire world through the lenses of business, economics and finance.

Q: My organization is interested in sponsoring/underwriting Marketplace. Where can I get more information on sponsorship opportunities?

A: Please visit our Sponsor Us page for more information on sponsoring and underwriting Marketplace.

Q: I have a question or comment about Marketplace, where do I write?

A: We love hearing feedback from our listeners. Visit our Contact/Connect page to select the best method for contacting us.